Iranian University Students Boycott Classes In Protest To Crackdown

Students at various universities across Iran have announced that they will go on strike and refuse to attend classes until their imprisoned colleagues are freed.

Students at Tehran, Yazd, Beheshti, Allameh Tabatabai and Azad North said the boycott will continue as long as security forces maintain a high presence on campuses.

In recent weeks, anti-riot and vigilante Basij forces have used all their efforts to suppress students at universities, arresting hundreds.

On Saturday, security agents searched the students at North Tehran Azad University and Sharif University when they entered the campus.

Earlier, students at Yazd University also announced that they will boycott lectures starting Saturday in protest to “the illegal and inhumane actions” of university officials.

Videos received by Iran International show students at Tehran University of Research and Sciences chant slogans such as "Woman, Life, Freedom" and "Student dies, but does not accept humiliation" on Saturday.

In another video the head of Tehran University's security, Hossein Izadiyar, tells the students “If you don’t end your sit-in, I will open the door for armed forces to arrest you.” He adds threateningly that “now this issue is the [political] establishment’s redline, get up and go to your classes.”

Reports say students in Mashhad, Sanandaj, Gilan, Kermanshah, and Tehran have gathered to chant slogans. School students in several cities held rallies as well.